Sound-emission device



M. SIGMAN ET AL Feb. 10.1.1925.

soUND'EMIssIoN DEvIc Filed Deb. 19, 1922- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'ATTORNEYS Feb. l0. 1925.

M. SIGMVAN ET AL SOUND EMISSION DEVICE Fiied Deo. 19 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 imvENToRs Mayas ,wwwa I? l BYLZZoe/esare, Maf@ 'f1/44",

ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,526,185 PATENT OFFICE.

MORRIS SIGMAN AND MATTEO DE CESARE, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO MICHAEL RABB, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

SOUND-EMISSION DEVICE.

Application filed December 19, 1922. Serial No. 607,800.

To all whom t may concer/n.:

Be it known that we, MORRIS SIGMAN, a citizen of the United States, and MATTEO DE CEsAim, a subject of the King of Italy, re-

.E siding at Newark, in the county of Essex and State lof New Jersey, have in-vented certain new and useful Improvements in Sound- Emission Devices; and we do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and

1c exact description of the invention, such as will enable Others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to., characters of reference marked is thereon, vwhich form a part of this specification.

This invention ielates, generally, to improveniente in sound emitting devices for toys; andthe invention has reference, more 2o particularly, to an improved speaking device for talking dolls whereby the character of the emitted sound is automatically con- `trolled and articulated.

The invention has for its principal `object to provide a novel improved sound emitting or speaking device for dolls and similar toys in which an automatic or weight actuated bellows Orair compression means is` provided with a sound producing reed ai'-V y 30 rangement, a flap valve for controlling the` the casing, all to the end that a strong, duf rable, easily and cheaply manufactured and eiiicient complete device is afforded for the purposes in view, and one which is little.

likely to become accidently injured or disarranged from normal operative condition when mounted within dolls or other toys likely to be subjected, in the hands of children, to more or less rough handling.

5o Other objects of this invention, not `at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearlyunderstood from the following detailed description of the same.

'lVith the various `Objects of this invention in view, the same consists, primarily, in the novel sound Vemitting device for toys hereinafter setforth; and the invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all Iof which will be more fully described in the following specification, and then nally embodied in the claims appended thereto.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective elevation of the encased sound emitting device made according to and embodying the principles of this invention; Figure 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the same: Figure 3 is another central vertical longitudinal section `taken on a transverse plane at right angles to the plane of Figure 2; Figure i is a. vertical section through the casing with the interior sound emitting` mechanism shown in eleva-tion, the device in this viewbeing shown inverted to permit the air compression means or bellows to ei;- pand by gravity and the sound emitting and controlling elements to be set for Operation; Figure 5 is a verw similar to that shown in Figure l, the device, however, being reverted to permit the compression of the bellows by gravity and to thereupon actuate the sound emitting and controlling elements; Figure 6 is a. horizontal section taken on line 6--6 iiiFigure 3; Figure 7 `is a bottom plan view of a bellows anchor or coupling plate; Figure S is a horizontal section taken on line S-S in Figure 2; Figure 9 is a bottom view yof the complete device; Figure 10 is a fragmentary detail vertical section showing the method of attaching the flexible bellows body to the upper bellows head; Figure 11 is a similar fragmentary detail vertical section showing the method of attaching the flexible bellows body to the lower bellows head: and Figure 12 is an edge elevation of the valve flap 'of the sound controlling means.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to said drawings, the reference character 13 indicates a suitable base adapted to form the bottom head of the air compressor or bellows element of the device. Said base or bottom head 13 is preferably made of heavy card-board, although it may be made of any other suitable maico terialit desired. Gonnectedwith the underside of said base or bottom head is an anchor or coupling plate 14, the same being made ot comparatively thin sheet metal, suche. g. as tin. The diameter ofA said: anchor or coupling plate 14 approximates the diameter of said base or bottom head 13,'` and the.

to the same, are a pair otprongsorr clenclring lugs 1T. which are thrust upwardly through the base or bottom head and then clenched over the ripper' or inner side thereof as at 18 (sce Figures 3 and G), to thus firmly secure the base or bottom head and anchor or coupling plate together. .1n a similar' manner, struck downwardly ont ot the body of said anchor or coupling plate 1st, and in diametric alinement at right angles to the prongs or clenching lugsl, are a second pair ot prongs or clenching lugs 19, the purpose ot' which will be subsequently disclosed. Secured centrally to said base or bottom head 13, so as to extend vertically upward therefrom, is a combined guide andtrip member 20, which preferably consists of a flat rigid'metallic bar or rod. The lower end of `said member 20 is proy vided with a tongue or. extension 21 of reduced width which penetrates said anchor or coupling plate 14, and the exposed extremity of which is secured to the latter by solder 22 (see Figures 2. and 3), thus securely fastening the guide and trip member 20 against displacement from proper' attached assembled relation to said base or bottom head 13. Slidable on said combined guide. and trip member 2O is the movable ripper head23 otl the air compressor or bellows element ot the device. Said movable ripper head 23 is constructed to possess sulhcient weight to cause the same to be readily moved by gravity as guided by the guide and trip member, and to this end the same may be made ot substantial thickness out of lead or other comparatively weighty material. Formed in the periphery of said movable upper head L3 is anannular groove or seat 2l. The reference.character 25 indicates a cylindrical shaped bellows member, preferably made of a suitable llexible material which is impervious to air, such e. g. as thin rubber, oil-silk or other suitably treated flexible fabric material. One end of said bellows member 25 is engaged downwardly over the periphery of said movable ripper head 23, so as to extend over the groove or seat 24, whereupon a tie-cord 2G if ei'igaged around the same to draw into and tasten such bellows end into the seat or groove 24, tol thus tightly secure said bellows end to the movable upper end, and the-n the bellows member is reversed and drawn down overv the upper head A3 so as to extend downwardly therefrom, all in the manner shown in the drawings, and more especially illustrated in Figure 10 thereot. Theopposite end ofthe bellows member 25 is thereupon engaged over the base or bottom head 13 to extend over the groove or seat 16 intermediate the same an'd the fiange 150i' theanchor or couplingrplate 14, whereupon`a tie-cord 27L is. engaged around the same to draw into-and vtasten the lower bellows endinto the scat or gr'oovc 16, to thus tightly secure said bellows end to the base orbottom head'13, all in the manner shown in the drawings, andr more especially illustrated in Figure 11 thereof.

Connected with said upper head 23, preterably as an integral'part thercot, and disposed so as to project vertically therethrough in ott-set position relative to thel guide andtrip `member 20, is a hollow soundbox 28, one end ot which projects downwardly into the interior ot' said bellows or air compressor element.l and the opposite end olv which projects upwardly and exteriorly above the outer side or top ot said upper head 23. The interior or lower end portion of said sound box is closed,r but, connected in communication with the interior thereoitv isa sound-pro'dueing device or reed-pipe 29, theoperative end ot which isexposed within the interior oi the'bellows or air compressor elcmentfso to be aetuated by the compression ot' air within the latter. The exterior end oi said sound-bo\V 28 isprovided with an oril'ice or mouth 30, normally closedlby means ot a. flap-valve 3l. Said flap-valve ishingedly or pivotally connected with said exterior end ot said soundbox so as to swing' up and down to open and close said orifice or mouth 30, while at the same time the pivotal connection ot' the same is ot a character' permit-ting a limited lateral play or side to side movement oit the same when in closed position relative to the orifice, or mouth 30. rlhe pivotal connection tor thus mounting said Hap-valve comprises a yoke 32 alxed against the outer side ot the sound-box 2S by means ot a screw 33 or other suitable tastening means, said volte 32 having at its upper edge a horizontally disposed lateral stationary hinge car or tubular bearing 34, through Ywhich is passed a hinge pintle 35. Said Hap-valve 31 is provided at its rear end with a pair ot laterally spaced pertorat'e hinge ears 3G adapted to straddle and normally aline themselves with said stationary hinge ear 34, so as to also loosely receive. said hinge. pintle-35, whereby said Hap-valve -may swing up iardly away 'from the orifice or month Utl lwith said trip-lug 40 and shoulder indica-tes av ably secured thereto.

30 or downwardly into closedrelation to the same, while at the same time a certain amount of play between the hinge ears and `pintle is `allowed for to permit a limited side toi side movement or lateral play to the nap-valvey when the same is in closed `position. In order to `yieldably hold said flapvalve in anormal Centrally `alined eXtension from its hinge or pivotal connection, and at the same time provide a2 tension means for returning the same to normal closed position relative to said orifice or mouth 30, ay tension means is provided in the form of a resilient endless band 37, which is preferably made of soft rubber, although it may also be made of spring wire if desired. This resilient band is disposed to extend over the flap-valve, thence downwardly around the sides thereof forward of the hinge ears 36, and thence rearwardly around and beneath the stationary hinge earor bearing 34.

Said Hap-valve is provided at its free end, to extend outwardly at one side thereof, with a trip projection or lug 38, the outer portion of its extremity being turned upwardly to provide a downwardly sloping or transversely oblique cam-portion 3S).

The upper portion of said guide and trip member 2() is cut away at one side to reduce its widtlr as at 20', and Vis provided in a proper position with a trip-lug 40 having a downwardly and inwardly chamferedunder side 4l and spaced below and alined 'with said trip-.lug 40 is a shoulder 42 formed by the juncture of said 'reduced port-ion 20 and the full width portion 20j y Said trip-projection or lug 3S and its cannportion 39 of the valve-nap is sodisposed that its path of movement is aliried IQ- The reference chanacter 43 cylindrical casing which is preferably made of paper-board. The lower end of said casing 43 is closed by a bottom cap 44 suit- The bellowsor air compressor elementwith itssound emitting and controlling devicesis inserted within said casing 43, and the prongs or `clenching lugs 19 of the anchor. lor coupling plate 14 are caused to project downwardly through the bottom cap 44 and are then clenched over the outer side or bottom thereof as at 19 (see Figures 2, 3 and 9), to? thus firmly couple or anchor said plate 14 and base or bottom head 13 to the bottom end of the4 iasing, and consequently securely and firmly holding the bellows or air compressor element with its sound emitting and controlling devices operatively attached to and fixed within the casing 43. Connected with the upper end of said casing 43 is across-bar 11-5 extending diametrically across the upper mouth of the casing7 said cross-bar having at its respective endsattaching ears. or lugs 46 which dove-tail into the walls of said Casing (see Figure 8). The upper free end of said guide and trip member 2O constituted by the reduced portion 20 is engaged in or penetrates said cross-bar 45, thus firmly holding the said upper end against lateral displacement. Engaged over and suitably secured to the upper end of the casing 43 is a top cap 4T the end wall of which is provided with a plurality of perfon rations 4S permitting the escape of sound waves from within the casing 43.

The encased sound emitting' device, constructed as above described, is suitably disposed within the interior of the body of la doll or other toy, usually with the weighted end of the bellows or air compressor toward the head end of the doll. To operate the device the doll is positioned so that the weighty upper head 23y of the bellows element will be moved by gravity outwardly on the guide and trip member 20 to thus expand the bellows element and fill the same with air, while at the same time carrying the trip projection of the flap-valve 8l above the trip-lug 40. This having been done, the doll is raised to revert the sound emitting device so that the pull of gravity will cause the weighty upper head 23 to slide down wardly on the guide and trip-member 20, thus collapsing the bellows element to compress the air within the same, and thereby force the air to pass operatively'in an outward direction through the reed-pipe and sound-box. As the weighty upper head moves downward the trip-projection of the valve-flap is carried into passing engagement with the trip-lug 40 of the guide and trip member 20. Said trip-projection is yieldable to pressure in an upward or outward direction against the vertical tension of the resilient member 37, and consequently the flap-valve is temporarily opened and closed, thus permitting the air to escape from the sound-box to produce an emission or ejaculation of sound of short duration during theninitial stages of the collapse of `the bellows element, whereby e. g. the syllable ma is produced, as will `be understood from an` inspection of Figure 5. After the flap-valve is thus temporarily opened .and closed, and before the complete collapse of the bellows element, the continued downward movement of the weighty upper head 23 and associated parts carries the tripprojection of the valveflap 31' past the shoulder 42 into engagement with the main body of the guide and trip member 20, whereby not only is the valve-flfap 3l aga-in raised but is held raised during the last stages of the collapse of the bellows ele ment, so that during such period air escapes `from the soundbox to produce an emission of sound of comparatively long duration, whereby e. g. the syllable maa is articulated. This operation will be understood lil() lill lit)

from an inspection of Figure 8 of the dra-wings. The consequent short ejaculation ot the syllable ma followed by the .longer sounding of the syllable mam effects a very life-like articulation of 'the word mama -Vhen inverting the sound emitting dyevice to set the parts prepaiatorjv to the operations above described, the stop-projection slides upwardly or outwardiy -on the main body of the guide and trip member' 2O until it passes oli of the shoulder 42, where-upon the valve-Hap closes, .and as the outward movement continues, the trip-projection moves into outward passing engagement with the trip-lug i0, and in so doing the oblique cam-portion 39 of the trip-projection engages the chamiiered underside 4l of the trip-lug 40 whereby :the .flap-valve 3l is caused to yield :late-rally against the horizontal tension ot the resilient means Si to thereby permit the trip-projection to side-step the trip-lug so as to pass the same when resuming position ini-tial to its 'operative movement in the lopposite direction.

Te are aware that some changes may be made in the various arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, as well as in the detail-s of the construction of the same, without 'departing `Jfrom the scope o't' ythis invention as set iiorth in lthe foregoing specification, and as defined in the appended claims. Hence we do not limit our invention to the exact arrangements and combinations otl the various devices and parts as described in said specification, nor do we vconfine ourselves to the exact details of the construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

te claim 1. In a device of the kind described, a bellows having a bottom head and a movable upper head, a sound emission device having an outlet orifice carried by said movable upper fhead and actuated by compression of air in said bellows,a tension controlled pivoted flap valve normally closing said outlet oriiice, a 'combined guide and trip member lixed to said bottom vhead to `extend through said bellows and ripper head and upon which the latter is guided, cooperative means on said combined guide `and trip member and said valve-flap rtor actuating the latter, an anchor plate .having` upwardly directed clenching lugs clenched kthrough said bottom head.` a casing surrounding said bellows having` a bottom closure, said anchor plate having 'addition-'al clenching lugs clenched through'said bottom closure to couple said bellows to said casing, :and a perforate clos-ure at the opposite end of said casing.

2. .In a device oi, the kind described, a bellows having a bottom head and a movable upper head, a sound emission device having an outlet orifice carried by said movable upper ihefa-d and actuated by compression of air in said bellows, a tension controlled pivoted flap-valve normally closing said outlet orifice, a combined guide and trip member iixed to said bottom vhead to extend through said bellows and upper head and upon which the latter is guided, cooperative means on said combined guide and trip member and said valve-flap tor actuating the latter, an anchor plate having upwardly directed clenching lugs clenched through said botto-m head, a casing surrounding said bellows having` a bottom lclosure, said anchor gplate having additional clenching lugs clenched through said bot- Atom closure to couple said bellows to said casing, a perforate closure at the opposite end of said casing, a diametrically yextending cross-bar attached at the said opposite end of said casing beneath said perloratey closure in which the upper free end 'ot' said combined guide and trip member is engaged.

3. In a device of the kind described, a bellows having a bottom head and a movable upper head, a sound emission device having an outlet orifice carried .by said movable upper head and actuated by compression oi air in said bellows, a tension controlled pivoted flap-valve normally closing said outlet orifice and capable of limited lateral play, a trip-projection at the free end ot said flapvalve, said trip-projection having an oblique cam-portion at its free end, a combined guide and trip member fixed to said bottom head to extend through said bellows and upper head and upon which the latter is guided, said guide and trip member havingabove said movable upper head a portion of reduced width from which projects a triplug provided with a chamt'ered underside engageable by said trip-projection and its cam projection, and vsaid vguide and trip Ymember at its full width portion being engageable by Asaid trip-projection to hold said Aflap-valve in open position.

el. In a. device ot the kind described, a bellows .having a bottom head and a movable upper head, a sound emission device having an outlet orifice carried by said movable upper head vand actuated by compression of air in said bellows, a .tension controlled pivoted flap-valve normally closing said outlet oriice and capable of limited .lateral play, a trip-projection kat the free end of said Hapva-lve, said trip-projection having' an oblique cam-portion at its free end, a combined guide and trip member lixed to said bottom head to extend through saidbellows and upper head and upon which the latter vis -guided,-said guide `and trip .member having above saidmovable upper head a portion of reduced width from which projects a trip- .lug provided with a chamtered underside engageable by vsaid trip-projection and its llo lli

cam projection, said guide and trip member at its full width portion being engag able by said trip-projection toy hold said flap-valve in open position, an anchor plate having` upwardly directed clenching lugs clenched through said bottom head, a casing surrounding said bellows having a bottom closure, said anchor plate having additional clenching lugs clenched through said bottom closure to couple said bellows to said casing, and perforate closure at the opposite end of said casing.

5. In a device of the kind described, a bellows having' a bottom head and a movable upper head, a sound emission device having an outlet oriiice carried by said movable upper head and actuated by compression of air in said bellows, a tension controlled pivoted `flap-valve normally closing said outlet orlice and capable of limited lateral play, a trip-projection at the free end of said flap valve, said t-ripprojection having an o lique canrportion at its free end, a combined guide and trip member fixed to said bottom head to extend through said bellows and upper head and upon which the latter is guided, said guide and trip member having above said movable upper head a portion of reduced width from which projects a triplug provided with a chamfered underside en gageable by said trip-projection and its cam projection, said guide and trip member at its full width portion being engageable b said trip-projection to hold said flap-valve in open position, an anchor plate having upwardly directed clenching lugs clenched through said bottom head, a casing surrounding said bellows having a bottom elo sure, said anchor plate having additional clenching lugs clenched through said bottom closure to couple said bellows to said casing, a perforate closure at the opposite end of said casing, a diametrically extending cross-bar attached at the said opposite end of said casing beneath said perforate closure in which the upper free end of said combined guide and trip member is engaged.

6. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a bellows and sound emitting and controlling means of a casing to enclose the same, an anchor plate Ahaving' upwardly directed clenching lugs clenched through the bottom member of said bellows, said anchor plate having additional down wardly directed clenching lugs clenched through the bottom end oit' said casing to thereby couple said bellows to said casing, and said anchor plate having a flared annular flange at its periphery to provide in conjunction with said bottom member of said bellows an annular groove to seat a tiecord for fastening the bellows body to its said bottom member.

In testimony that we claim the invention set forth above we have hereunto set our hands this 12th day of December, 1922.

MORRIS SIGMAN. MATTEO DE CESARE.

IVitnesses:

GEORGE D. RIGHARDS, MICHAEL RABB. 

